New Corvette revealed after 9 year hiatus

2014 "C7" Corvette

DETROIT (WWBT) -- General Motors was proud to reveal the new 2014 "C7" Corvette on Sunday night that was 9 years in the making. The new American sports car will be in showrooms this fall. One major change from the old version, gas mileage.

GM's bankruptcy slowed development twice. With each delay, new safety and gas mileage regulations forced changes. "There won't be a Corvette if we don't care about fuel economy," said Tadge Juechter, the car's chief engineer.

Lighter parts and the V-8 engine being knocked down to four cylinders, all help with the sports car consumption of fuel. All the changes helped it overcome nine years of government crash safety requirements that could have bloated the car. But even with the lighter materials, the regulations have pushed its weight to a little more than the current base model's 3,200 pounds. The Corvette is so new that it only shares two parts with the current model.

GM is still testing the gas mileage and promises that the new version will be better than the old version's 16/city 26/highway.

A 6.2-liter small-block V-8 with 450 horsepower takes the car from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds.

The company won't quote a price on the 2014 model. But sources said someone who bought the current version can afford the new one. The Corvette starts at $49,600. That is more than $30,000 below what GM considers its chief competitor, the Porsche 911.